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Self-appointed “Bitcoin creator” is charged in fraud

Posted on 2018-02-28

Craig Wright is accused in stolen of $5 billion from another “bitcoin creator”

Ira Kleiman, the brother of American programmer David Kleiman, sued Craig Wright, who declared himself to be the Bitcoin creator, for appropriation of about 1 million BTC, which lawyers estimated at about $10 billion.

David Kleiman, who died in 2013, was also supposedly associated with bitcoin creation. In 2011 together with Wright he established a firm named W&K Info Defense Research LLC in Florida, which was engaged in development of technologies related to cryptocurrency. In the period from 2009 to 2013, the partners received about 1.1 million bitcoins. Kleiman’s family accuses Wright in appropriation of Kleiman intellectual property and cryptocurrency.

Ira Kleiman’s interests are represented by Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, famous law firm, known for such high-profile cases as Bush vs. Gore in 2000.

Craig Wright was accused of allegedly conducting "a scheme against Dave's estate to seize Dave's bitcoins and his rights to certain intellectual property associated with the Bitcoin technology."

"As part of this plan, Craig forged a series of contracts that purported to transfer Dave's assets to Craig and/or companies controlled by him. Craig backdated these contracts and forged Dave's signature on them," Ira’s advocates wrote.

Despite 1.1 million bitcoins, Ira Kleiman claims compensation for intellectual property, which, according to lawyers, appeared as a result of the joint work of his deceased brother and Wright.

Interestingly, the claim does not raise the question of whether Wright is the creator of the first cryptocurrency, being behind of Satoshi Nakamoto identity. The document states "it is unclear whether Craig, Dave and/or both created Bitcoin."